Honestly, if you’re looking back at the mid-2010s golden era of prestige TV, Ray Donovan usually sits right there near the top, mostly because the casting was just lightning in a bottle. By the time the ray donovan 4th season cast rolled around, the show wasn’t just about Liev Schreiber staring intensely at people while holding a baseball bat. It had morphed into this massive, sprawling web of Russian mobsters, high-stakes boxing, and the kind of family dysfunction that makes your own Thanksgiving look like a Disney movie.
Season 4 was a pivot point. We saw Ray trying to find some kind of redemption—or at least a version of it that didn't involve a body bag—and the new faces brought in to push him there were nothing short of inspired.
The New Heavy Hitters: Lisa Bonet and Ismael Cruz Córdova
The biggest buzz during the 2016 run was definitely the addition of Lisa Bonet. She played Marisol Campos, and man, she was a wrecking ball. Marisol wasn't just another client; she was the unstable, deeply damaged half-sister of a champion boxer, and she had enough dirt to bury everyone in the room. Bonet brought this ethereal but jagged energy to the role that felt totally different from the usual Hollywood archetypes Ray dealt with.
Then you have Ismael Cruz Córdova as Hector Campos. Before he was a lead in The Rings of Power, he was absolutely crushing it here as a middleweight champ with a "dark side" that felt painfully real. The chemistry—if you can call it that—between Hector and Ray was built on shared trauma. They were both survivors of abuse, and watching them navigate that while trying to win a $55 million fight purse was high-intensity television.
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The Russian Connection and Returning Icons
You can't talk about the ray donovan 4th season cast without mentioning the villains. This season went heavy on the Russian mob, bringing in Pasha D. Lychnikoff as Ivan Belikov. Lychnikoff has that "don't mess with me" face down to a science. He played Belikov as a man who was simultaneously terrifying and weirdly sophisticated.
We also got:
- Embeth Davidtz as Sonia Kovitzky: A high-end art dealer who was way deeper in the mob world than she looked.
- Raymond J. Barry as Dmitri Sokolov: The big bad. He’s the kind of actor who doesn't need to shout to make you feel like you’re in trouble.
- Ted Levine: Yeah, Buffalo Bill himself played Little Bill Primm, a casino owner. It was a smaller role but, as usual, Levine made it memorable.
And of course, the "foundation" cast was still there, doing the heavy lifting. Jon Voight as Mickey Donovan continued to be the most likable person you’d never actually want to meet in real life. The way Mickey could ruin a life while genuinely believing he was helping is just... it’s a masterclass.
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The Donovan Family Dynamics
The brothers—Terry, Bunchy, and Daryll—were all in weird spots this year. Eddie Marsan (Terry) is probably one of the most underrated actors of his generation. In Season 4, Terry’s dealing with his Parkinson’s and the fallout of his weird emotional tension with Ray’s wife, Abby (Paula Malcomson).
Dash Mihok (Bunchy) was trying to be a family man, which, in the Donovan universe, is basically a death sentence for your sanity. We also saw Dominique Columbus join the cast as Damon, a street kid Terry takes under his wing. It gave the Fite Club a fresh reason to exist and gave Terry a purpose beyond just surviving his own body.
Why This Specific Cast Worked
Basically, the showrunners realized they couldn't just keep doing "fix of the week." They needed characters that reflected Ray's internal mess. By bringing in people like Marisol and Hector, the show forced Ray to look in a mirror. It wasn't just about cleaning up a mess; it was about realizing he is the mess.
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The casting of the Russian mobsters also raised the stakes. In earlier seasons, Ray felt invincible. In Season 4, with guys like Sokolov and Belikov lurking, he felt vulnerable for the first time. That shift in power only works if the actors playing the villains can actually intimidate someone like Liev Schreiber, who is a pretty imposing dude.
Taking Action: Where to Catch the Cast Now
If you’re looking to dive back into this specific era of the show, or you're following the careers of these actors, here’s how to track them down:
- Streaming: You can currently find all seven seasons (and the movie) on Paramount+ or through a Showtime add-on on Hulu/Amazon.
- The "New" Stars: If you liked Ismael Cruz Córdova, his work in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power shows just how much he's grown since his boxing days in L.A.
- Liev's Legacy: Keep an eye out for Liev Schreiber’s more recent stage work and narrations; he’s largely moved into producing and high-end voice work lately.
Check out the first three episodes of Season 4—specifically "Girl with Guitar" and "Marisol"—to see the new cast members settle into their roles. It’s arguably the point where the show’s world-building reached its peak.